Tomb Raider: The Adventures of Lara's Successor
by Figgs
Summary: Years have passed and Lara Croft's adventures have come to an end.  But who will be left to save the world for years to come?  The story follows Selena on her journey to uncover the truths behind a long lost society and her past.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: Let me know if this is a good idea. I already have part of the first chapter typed and should be putting that up soon. Throughout this story, key elements from the games WILL be thrown in. I really don't want to go too far from Tomb Raider itself. Reviews are always welcome.

**Prologue**

_The troubles of the world cannot be written, cannot be spoken, by the old croak of an aging, troubled woman. But rather the smooth silence of the one who has seen it all. Not her scars, not her pale yellow hands can speak as her cold expression does- stiffened by time and contained by a broken wall infected with the cursed creeping vine. _

_ Her long, graying ponytail fell down her shoulder and she looked up from her lap._

_ "I feel you wanted to ask me something, child."_

_ "Yes. I did."_

_ The ticking of the grandfather clock seemed to slow during the long pause. Just as the elderly woman was about to ask for her question, the girl pulled a pistol from her jacket._

_ "I have something of yours." The lady stiffened in her chair._

_ The girl laid the pistol in the older woman's lap and gave a reassuring smile._

_ "Hmm," the elder said with a small smirk. "Where on Earth did you find this?"_

_ "On my dresser, ma'am. I don't understand. It was just…there."_

_ The woman smiled as she turned the pistol in her hand, admiring its structure and glimmer under the lights. How many memories it held. It had saved her and lost her on so many occasions. She could feel the intense moments they shared as she ran her fingers lightly over the trigger. It felt good to see it one last time._

_ "Where is the second one?" the woman asked._

_ "I don't know. I just found this one."_

_ The elder stood up, balancing herself on the arm of the chair and moving around to fetch her cane leaning on the wall. She coughed out a laugh. "You'll be needing the other, won't you?"_

_ The girl, puzzled as anything, shook her head. "They're yours!" But as she argued, the lady was already heading out the door of her library._

_ The mansion was quite large and decorated. The golden banisters bordered the burgundy carpet that spread across the floor like a light jam on toast. However, the toast in the upper levels was quite fine, as well; a wooden floor, sun-kissed by the rays that shined through the front windows. A grand staircase placed at the center of the house sprang two sets of steps out the sides that landed gracefully below to a black and white checkered floor. In the main hall, there was a grand trophy room behind a locked door. Only the old woman knew exactly how to get inside._

_ The lady stumbled down the last step with the help of the girl. "Thank you," she muttered, as if ashamed of her weakness. The girl nodded in return._

_ "I can't help but wonder, ma'am. Where are you taking me?" the girl asked._

_ A smirk peeked out from under the woman's wrinkles. "To your future."_

_ She hobbled over to the right wall. Still facing it, she said, "Care for a swim?"_

_ The girl sighed but before she could disagree, she noticed a crack in the wall the woman was facing. "Yes…I think I would."_

_ After finding the switch in the pool room, the girl raced back to the old woman. She was still there, leaning up against the wall for extra support. When she moved, she revealed an opening. There, stitched into the inner wall, was a lever._

_ "This is up to you, child."_

_ The girl pulled the lever and slowly turned around to see the door open and closing fast. She attempted a dash over to it with no luck._

_ The woman laughed. "No, that's not right. Go back to the beginning and try again."_

_ The girl huffed back over and started fresh. With a tug and a roll, she was set, sprinting all the way and diving through the half-closed doorway. By the time the girl had finished dusting herself off, her eyes met the head of an enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex mounted above a blazing fireplace. Startled by it, she knocked into a button beside the door. It opened, and this time_, stayed_ open._

_ Behind the door stood the old woman who then walked into the room. _

_ "These were the days of my glory, one might say. That one… just happens to be myself." The girl laughed at the dry wit of the elder. "You see, I spent my younger years striving to discover the truth among these little trinkets." The old woman continued. "I would not say I found nothing," she chuckled, gazing at the T-rex above the fireplace, "but I did not find truth. If anything, I found more questions." She continued to pace around the room admiring the prizes of her adventures, pausing at each one. "I am old now, of course. While my mind and wit are in famous condition, my creaking bones and dazzling good looks are not." She grinned at the young woman standing before her, reminding her too much of herself. "I'm not here to tell you what to do with your life." She took the second pistol from a case on the shelf. "I'm merely here to tell you what you are capable of doing. And I can see it, in those deep dark eyes of yours, that you want what I've always wanted."_

_ "To live."_

_ "To live, my child." Lady Croft placed both pistols in the girl's hands. "To live."_

Selena closed the book she had never even started reading and stood up. She walked out of her library, leaving the book and her past behind.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: I would like to thank TRJunePearl for the kind and informative review. It really gave me a boost to go and post this. I'm messing around with the name Gauge simply because it reminds me of a techie. Also, the metal spheres in South Africa DO exist; however, their mystical properties do not. I realize there isn't much going on in this chapter, but it's kind of the opening to the story. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 1**

"So, finally deciding to join the real world, are we?"

The voice of an extremely impatient man joked as Selena walked into the computer lab. She sighed.

"I just needed some time alone for a while, Gauge." Selena stepped to his side.

"No questions?" he said, looking up at her from his swivel chair in front of the computer.

"No questions." Selena looked at the screen. "What've you found?"

"Alright. You're gonna like this one. The past few decades, miners in South Africa have been digging up mysterious metal spheres. O' course no one knows their origin, many conspiracy theories, over some billion years old…same old rubbish." After a pause, Gauge continued. "Ooh. Look 'ere at this. Says, 'Locals consider them to be from a society long deceased but still hold precious information to a power unlike any other.'"

"Sounds interesting," Selena said. "South Africa."

"Klerksdorp in North-West South Africa, actually…that is way too many directions…" Gauge mumbled.

Selena rolled her eyes.

"Lot o' these sites mention the lost civilization stuff- new grounds for Atlantis, maybe. Perhaps this is connected to one o' Lara's adventures."

"She didn't say much about it," Selena said pacing around the room. "But this could very well be connected to Natla. Who knows." Gauge spun around and watched Selena walk towards the door. "Anyway, Atlantis or not, I know there's something else there and _I'm_ going to find out what it is."

"Don' get shot," Gauge muttered as she exited the computer lab.

_3 days later_

"Selena! Stop fooling about and get back on the job!"

Gauge's shouting blasted through her earpiece.

"By God, I'm just taking in the scenery." Selena walked up to a market stand and picked up a banana.

"What scenery? And anyway, we aren't here for that!"

She paid for the banana and took a bite. "Wha's wif all thish 'we' nawnshensh?" she managed, with bit of fruit spewing from her mouth.

With a grumble, Gauge remained silent while Selena explored the nearby town. Children scrambled around playing games while their mothers hung out the laundry or bought the food for the next week. A few bramble bushes blew in the warm breeze and with every step came a huge cloud of dust. The sky was covered in specks of clouds, blotting the beaming sun. Selena took in her surrounds and finished her fruit, throwing the peel on the ground.

She sat on the side of the dirt road and tried to remember the family friend from so long ago. Lady Lara Croft. What a woman. Though Selena had only known her in her later years, she was still incredibly strong and courageous.

She was several years old when they had their first encounter; she and her grandfather paid Miss Croft a visit. He never told Selena what for, but he later reminded her of how much she enjoyed the presence of the Croft. How she managed to make the little girl laugh, how Grandpa set her down on Lady Croft's kitchen counter and Winston made her a turkey sandwich. Selena's grandfather was an adventurer himself, in a way. He went everywhere looking for answers and vengeance, mostly in Europe. He never said much else. Selena's mother knew he had a past with Lady Croft but she never spoke much of it. In other words, the family history was all but known.

In her daze, Selena noticed a toy ball roll to her feet. A messy little boy in ragged clothes dove for it and missed terribly. The others laughed as he stared up at Selena, almost horrified. She patted his shoulder and handed the toy back to him.

"_Ke a leboga, mma_," the boy said quickly and rushed off to his friends. "Thank you, miss."

Selena stood up, dusting herself off and spoke into her mic, hoping that Gauge hadn't given up on her entirely. It was a tiresome job and they made too good of a team. They were like a married couple at times; well-done job thanks to a couple over-done fights.

"Gauge?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Are we ready to work?"

"If you're done with sight seeing."

"Right now, we'll say I am," Selena said, walking away from the market and into an alley.

"'Kay..umm…" There was a pause before the techie continued. "Dunno what to tell you, Selena. There should be a mining site near there."

"I'll find it."

"I can send it to your PDA."

"Gauge, I can find it. This is town is only so big. You can stop worrying," Selena reassured him.

"How I wish I could, love," the techie sighed. "I'm sending some extra info and the map to your PDA. If you'll be needin' anything else, just gimme a ring."

Selena laughed. "Promise."

And Gauge signed off.

A few steps along, Selena noticed a man in the dark corner of a building. A curious man, not African in the slightest. Her hand slowly moved to her left pistol as she kept walking in the direction of the mine. He was hard to make out of the shadows but she knew that he was going to be trouble later on. She sped to a power walk when she had the mine in her sight, leaving the image of the man tucked in the back of her mind. She had mysteries to solve, graves to dig, and tombs to raid.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: This chapter has more action and new characters. I was running low on inspiration juice when I came up with "Yu-X" so if anyone has any better ideas, let me know. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Reviews are always welcome and fully appreciated (thanks again TRJP!).

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The mine was crawling with workers. Most of them weren't African either. But Selena had seen these men before on another expedition of hers, one of her first actually. The familiar lettering on the side of a truck read "**Yu-X Excavation**" owned and operated by shifty, smart-ass Huang (Tank) Yu. Once a charming young man, Tank turned to digging up the past after losing his father in a plane crash. His charm soon dimmed to almost nothing and left him an empty shell of apathy and carelessness. Tank hired a crew and made a living by excavating beautiful ruins and selling the findings to the highest bidders.

Selena slid behind a ledge and peeped over to get a view of the workers. They didn't seem like much of a problem, but she didn't have time for an all-out boxing match; it didn't seem right to kill them either. Just then, she spotted Tank, in all of his muscular glory.

"Damn it, if we don't get this dug up in time….yes, I know. I'm watching out for her… You saw her?" Tank shouted into his cell as he paced the site. "This isn't good…we'll move along. I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve." Tank smirked at his final words and ended the call, stuffing his phone into his pocket.

Selena sunk back behind the outcrop and tried to map out a plan. She looked up and saw a few more ledges. She hung along the side of them and shimmied across so as not to be seen. Once she reached the end, she took a quick survey of the mine. But what she found was not expected.

The mine was desolate. Selena started forward but was stopped when something tugged at her back.

"Don't."

She turned around to find the man in the shadows from before. But all too quickly he threw her behind the rocks and dove after her. A massive explosion followed.

Selena drew one pistol and jumped to her feet. "Rise," she ordered of the shadow man, touching the barrel to his temple. "Who are you and what is your business here?"

The man laughed. "Same as yours, I presume. The spheres."

Selena cocked her head. "I see," she said, scanning him for any weapons. When she spotted one, she reached for it but she was too slow. The man pushed the gun from him and drew his, pointing it at Selena's head. She cursed to herself.

"You need to work on your technique, Miss."

Selena stepped on his foot, snatched the gun out of his hand, and kicked him in the groin. The man dropped to his knees and Selena pushed his own automatic to his head.

"You never answered my first question," she said, smirking at him.

"Why is it any of your bus- gra!" Selena hit him with the pistol.

"Because I have the gun and you have the bad attitude."

"Aiden. Aiden Meyers," he grunted. "Miss, I just saved you from an explosion. I think you can cut me a break."

"I need answers and you're in a great position to give them to me."

"Pretty sure I know just as much as you," he said looking up at her.

"Then it should be a good refresher."

"It's a dangerous world out there, girl. I'm not quite sure if you're up for it."

"I'm a dangerous girl. And right now," she pulled back the safety, "I'm losing patience."

"The spheres found in this mine-or at least what was until they just blew it to pieces-they are quite small, but there is one large enough to fit the entire history of a lost civilization within it. Many of the north-western people call this civilization 'Ko Metseng' which translates to 'city of water'."

"Atlantis," Selena breathed.

Aiden stood up with her gun still pointed at his head. "Exactly. The lost civilization. Rumored to have technologies that far surpassed anything we could even comprehend. Weaponry, energy, medicine- more advanced than any we could ever hope create. Truths…that only the most daring will uncover. And every last piece of it," Aiden closed in on Selena's face, his every breath caressing her cheek, "is locked inside that one metallic orb."

Selena backed away from him. "So anyone who gets their hands on that sphere-"

"Has complete and total control over all of that power," Aiden finished for her.

Selena turned the corner and saw the destruction of the mine. Sheets of rock fell into the wreckage. One Yu-X truck sat ablaze on its side and all of its contents were scattered along the rocks. The mine was filled; it was as if it never existed. They wouldn't just burry an artifact of such importance. Tank was smarter than that. They already found it. And they were just cleaning up the mess…with another mess.

She tossed Aiden's gun back to him. "I'm going after Yu-X."

"Then I'm coming with you," he said, holstering his automatic.

Selena grabbed her pistols and turned around. "It's a dangerous world out there, boy. I'm not quite sure if you're up for it." And she ran off to the burning truck. Aiden followed, smiling to himself.

At the burning truck, Selena rummaged through some papers that weren't crisp, trying to avoid the raging fire. Aiden salvaged some tools from a broken crate and some First Aid kits from the back doors. Selena watched him carefully. She could never be too careful around shifty men with guns. Beads of sweat slowly dripped off her face and landed on the rocks below. Specks of ash flew about and landed in her hair and on the papers she held. Order forms.

When Selena backed away from the fire with the forms, Aiden followed. "Whadya have there?"

She tucked the papers in her pocket. "Sorry, Meyers. I work alone."

"So do I. We should be friends."

Selena sat her backpack on the hood of a wrecked car. "Meyers," she said, rummaging through her backpack, "you are beginning to be more trouble than you're worth and if you don't bug off, I might as well just blast your bloody head off."

"I don't think you will," Aiden said leaning his back up against the car.

"Don't test me, boy." She snapped her bag shut and hoisted it onto her shoulders. Taking the order forms from her pocket, she mumbled to herself, "Nevada." Selena hopped into the a truck parked outside the explosion site and put it in gear. To her pleasant surprise, Aiden didn't follow her. She started forward and watched through the mirrors as the mysterious man grew smaller and smaller with distance.

"Selena, who the bloody hell was that?" Gauge questioned.

"Someone I feel we will see again soon." Selena shrugged her shoulders and drove off towards the setting sun.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: This chapter was written amongst the hustle and bustle of school starting and concerts and such. I hope you enjoy it. :)

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Tires crushed the rocks below as they slowly climbed up another rocky mound. The landscape was bold with its many cliffs and rocky ledges, all of which were pleasing to the eye. While each day the outdoors was an oven, the cool air in the evenings made up for the roasting temperatures during the day. Nevada's setting sun reflected off the dark lenses clinging to Selena's nose. She had been driving since her plane dropped her off in northern Utah. Of course, she had sent someone to fetch her Jeep back in Surrey, but it was still a couple hours to Beatty, Nevada- her real destination. Beatty was a tourist site and was coincidentally close to Death Valley. The small town was also, apparently, a trading center for Tank and his crew.

As the day slowly came to a close, Selena could feel her eyes about to do the same. Her exhaustion was taking over and her foot was growing numb. Since she had been in South Africa, she had not slept, nor showered, and had not a single bit of energy to spare when she pulled up to a motel along the road and crashed in her room.

Selena searched through her backpack for an extra shirt and shorts. She slipped them on, tossing her grungy cargo pants and tank top carelessly across the room. She placed one pistol carefully next to her bed and one in her backpack on the other side of the room. Yawning, she rolled onto the bed and tucked herself between the sheets. The cool night crept through the windows as she sunk into a half-sleep daze. But before she had a chance to catch a wink of sleep, a loud knock blasted through her ears.

Stumbling out of bed, grabbing for her pistol, Selena dove behind the wall next to the door. When she realized they weren't going to break in, she slowly crept over to the door. Looking through the glass peephole, she noticed a familiar face staring back at her. She holstered the pistol in her waist band and opened the door.

"You signed your name as 'Laura Cruz'," Aiden said, his eyebrow quirked.

"I doubt that's what you're here for," Selena said, searching him for weapons.

"Just curious." He looked around aimlessly. "May I come in?"

"Why would I let you in?" she said, finding the idea almost laughable.

Aiden stuffed his hand in his pockets and leaned in closer to her. "I have information about your pals down at the mine."

Selena considered this for a moment. "I don't trust shifty men."

"Do you trust any men?"

"Watch yourself, Meyers," Selena warned.

"So are you going to make me stand out here all alone?"

"Get your ass in here," she grumbled turning to switch the light on. "You're interrupting my beauty sleep."

Aiden laughed. "You're obviously getting too much of that as it is." He sat on the bed and began fiddling with a loose string on his jacket. "Tank isn't the only one hunting out there."

Selena sat next to him. "Hunting?"

"Yeah," he muttered, still playing with the string. "Hunting for treasure and…hunting for you. And me now, too."

"Peachy," Selena mumbled. "How do you know this?"

Aiden looked up. "Got caught in a rumble when I raced out here. They recognized me from…a while back. They asked about you." He turned his gaze to the shadows on the wall. "Got a few bruises and narrowly missed my shot at being a pancake on the road. Oh darn," he said almost jokingly. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Handing it to Selena, he said, "Found this in the macho man's pocket."

Selena read it carefully. "An order for the sphere from...I can't read the name."

"Read the return address."

"Death Valley," she uttered.

"Fitting, no?" he said looking over her shoulder. "If you read further, basically, the company is out to 'make the world a better place'. You know what that means."

As Selena read further she realized the truth of what Aiden had been saying. The form explained in little detail of how the sphere would be able to help humanity achieve great things. It's a great power that the writer would control, and Tank was also in for a piece of the pie. She looked up from the paper having finished reading the letter and asked, "Aiden, why are you so willing to help me?"

He smiled, looking straight into her deep blue eyes. "We're looking for the same thing, Miss 'Cruz'." Selena waited patiently for his answer. He chuckled. "The truth."

Selena smirked at his answer, reminding her so much of her mentor, Lady Croft.

There was a pounding at the door, then muffled voices.

Both of them leapt to their feet and dove behind the bed. Aiden pulled a knife from his boot and Selena drew her pistol as they waited for the door to come crashing down. But to their surprise, it didn't.

"Room service!" Voices cackled from behind the door. "We won't hurt ya Selena! Or the little rat!" More sickly voices laughed from outside. They were everywhere but in the room.

"Shit! They followed me here! I coulda swore I took them all off!" Aiden whispered in rage.

Selena looked around, completely ignoring him. "Got a plan?"

He looked up at her, his face grim and sharp in the shadows. "Fight," he said simply. "Take the outside door. I'll hold them off while you run."

Selena frowned. "Oh what a gentleman," she said, sarcasm dripping from her mouth. She stood up and crept along the wall until she was standing next to the window frame. Before she could jump around the corner, the door to the hall burst open and a mad rush of men scrambled into the room aiming guns. The men from the outside crashed through the glass with a loud shatter, scampering about the room. One man grabbed Selena's wrist and threw her gun away. She put in him a wrist lock and kicked him to the ground with the heel of her bare foot. Another intruder came from behind, wrapping his arms in a headlock. Selena flipped him over her and onto the floor with ease. She had just enough time before another came to roll, snatch her pistol, and shoot the man running at her. By that sound, the room rang with gunfire.

Barely dodging bullets, she grabbed Aiden by the sleeve and they raced toward the hallway. One of the bullets caught Selena's arm, forcing a yelp from the top of her throat. She didn't turn back. She focused. Just focused.

They reached the door and ran out into the hallway.

It was blocked, the reassuring click of about six or seven guns sounded.

"Well, here we are yet again."

"You bloody bastard," she spat.

Tank grinned revealing his unsightly rotten teeth. "Guess you aren't the tomb raider I thought you were, Miss Trent." His laugh was acid in her ears. "I wonder what Lady Croft would say."

Selena gritted her teeth in rage; all the while, Aiden was struggling to keep her from ripping Tank's head off.

"This is pointless," Tank muttered sounding almost fearful of Selena. He turned to three of the henchmen. "Throw them in the truck. We're off schedule."

"Yes sir," they said in unison. When two tried to grab them, Selena fought back but fell helplessly to the floor in a small pool of blood from her arm. One man lifted her and the other two escorted Aiden to the truck, guns aimed and at the ready.

The henchmen kicked them into the back of the truck and slammed the doors.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: Thanks for sticking around! We had a huge party last weekend that I was the hostess of (bleh) and bunches of other stuff like marching band and AP Psych but through it all- here it is! I'll try to be a little bit quicker next time. Thanks for the reviews TRJP and Nyita7! Also, I've been replaying Tomb Raider 2 and 3 since August. I am stuck before the final boss battle in TR3 without enough Desert Eagle clips. Anyone who has played TR3 should know my pain. D: Anywho, enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

"Selena, are you alright?" Aiden whispered into the darkness. A soft grumbled escaped the black and a loud thud shook the trailer. He raced over at the sound and grabbed onto what he thought was an arm. He felt a sticky liquid running across his hand. Even in the pitch black, he knew Selena was losing blood- and fast. Aiden swiftly tore piece of his shirt and inched his fingers up her arm to find the bullet wound. His quivering hands moved to tie a tourniquet but Selena touched his wrist. His grip loosened.

"Allow me." She took the cotton material and tied it tightly around the wound, knotting it twice. She looked up into the dark and muttered a soft 'thank you'.

"Don't mention it."

The engine roared to life and the trailer swayed back and forth, knocking a few loose items off the upper areas of the trailer (what were suspected to be tall crates). Aiden clutched Selena's wrist.

She looked up, forgetting he could not see her surprised face. "Meyers, let go of my arm."

"Oh. Sorry," he mumbled as if he had no clue he had even done it. Before silence could pass between them, Aiden spoke. "Your name is Selena Trent."

She held onto her patched shoulder, leaning against the side of the trailer next to him. "Yes."

He laughed to himself. "Laura Cruz," he muttered, still amused by her name choice.

Selena smiled. "What's your real name, Meyers?"

"Just what I told you," he said, becoming serious again. "Aiden Meyers. You think I would lie?"

"I'm just careful."

A deep pause soaked the darkness in a sick feeling of unfastened emotion.

"Maybe too careful."

Selena sighed, almost in agreement. She had been on guard for most of her life, and cherished the times she was free from danger. But oh God, danger was a thrill. How could one give up such a drug to relive the confined life of a child?

Aiden grunted in agitation. "This ride is going to be extremely mind-numbing if you just keep to yourself," he explained, turning his head to an invisible Selena. "Tell me about yourself."

"What do you think this is, Aiden? An online dating site?" she shouted, nearly amused by the idea.

"What do you have to hide, Selena? A guilty conscience?"

Selena grumbled, leaning her head back. "Meyers, I've gone on many adventures- in pursuit of the truth and my own freedom- and on NONE of those have I run into someone as persistent as you. You should be proud."

"I do my best," he said. "Guess you could say it's in my genes. My father had the same curse."

"What happened to him?" Selena asked, noticing the past tense.

Aiden frowned. "Heart attack. Workin too hard." He laughed morbidly and then fell silent.

"I'm sorry. I never even knew my father."

"Now that's a tragedy."

"It wasn't all that bad," Selena clarified. "We had our good times and our bad. The more pleasant of times were spent with my grandfather."

Aiden smirked. "Was he a jolly fella?"

Selena reflected back onto her childhood. Those times of joy in her life. While her grandfather kept to himself, he _was _a father-like figure. The only one she had. His sly smirk still illustrated as a vivid image in her mind, reminding her to keep her head above the water, even in the most devastating situations. "Not exactly. But he was so smart and witty. He told the best stories."

Aiden mused. "I wish I would've had someone like that." He laughed to himself. He was so pitiful. Dreaming of things that already never happened. Sympathy was not needed.

Before the awkward silence arose again, Aiden continued the conversation, which was going much better than expected, even with the occasional drag. "How did you ever get caught up in the tomb raiding gig?"

Selena chuckled at his question. "It was actually what a good friend of my grandfather's told me," she said, remembering her every word. "She told me to live. She told me…to live." Selena closed her eyes, visualizing the old woman's smiling face as she walked out the door in Lady Croft's old adventure outfit. Of course, it was much too old and treasured for Selena to actually wear it on her journeys. Instead, she tucked it away in her closet back at Croft Manor, where she had lived since Lady Croft's unfortunate death. Selena reached for her old pistol, only to remind herself of the situation at hand. Reality shook her back to the shadowed truck where she could hear Aiden's soft breathing.

"She was your mentor?"

"Yes," Selena answered.

Aiden stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His arms fell and his hands collapsed in his lap. "I never had one of those," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Then how did you get into this line of business?" Selena pondered aloud.

"I was inspired," he replied lightly. "After my father died, my mom got caught up in the biz, or something close to this. So I lived with my aunt and uncle while she was away. Which was everyday, pretty much." He shrugged when he felt an awkward silence creeping up. "But I loved how much freedom she had. To go anywhere she wanted. She had the money and she had the guts…why not, ya know?"

Selena nodded, understanding the reasoning perfectly.

When the silence began to settle once more, Aiden interrupted it.

"Ya know you aren't as cold and gloomy as I thought you were, Miss Trent."

Selena arched her lips into a smirk. "Don't push it, Meyers. I have a feeling we're going to have to get used to each other if we're going to get out of this." She mumbled the last part angrily.

"We'll find a way, Selena." He laid a hand softly on her shoulder.

"I know, Meyers." Selena's face scrunched in confusion. "Why are you touching me again?"

He retracted his hand as if it were bitten. "Instinct. Pretty girl, chaotic situation… it all comes together eventually."

Suddenly, the truck came to an abrupt stop, causing various crates to fall around the two of them. The wheels screeched and loud voices came from outside. Selena, once again reached for the gun that was not there. She grumbled.

The back doors flew open. A man with scraggly hair stuffed under a ball cap smiled broadly, revealing his yellow, decaying teeth. Another man came up from behind him, just as unsightly as he- with his long greasy hair and scarred face. The first grabbed Selena by the arm and dragged her violently from the truck. Behind her, she could hear Aiden swearing at the other guard. More men with guns followed the four of them.

"Doncha dare think 'bout gettin away, sweets. You're on our turf now." The guard snorted out a sickening chortle. His breath slithered up her nose. It reeked of years of tobacco use and not a single tooth brush to solve the problem.

She held her breath, gritting her teeth. The desert beyond was not one of desire. In the distance, she made out a building, a facility. There had a way out of this. They just needed to find it.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: My goodness I am sorry. This update was supposed to happen way sooner. I was sick as a dog this past week and have been playing catch-up with my school work since then and as much as I love writing, I simply had no time. :( I'll try better next time.

Thanks again for the reviews! As long as I am getting feedback, I will be able to optimize and hopefully make this story more lively and entertaining than it's been. There are still some holes, I know. But now that I'm out of the major pothole, I can readdress my characters and develop the Sphere backstory more. This was my attempt at getting out of the pothole. :) Hope you like it!

**Chapter 5**

"Where do ya reckon the boss wants these pretties?"

"Probably in the cells," the guard holding Aiden muttered. His tone was admittedly annoyed and frustrated.

The guard took a hold of Selena's jaw and yanked it close, dangerously close to his decaying face. "Hear that, chicky? You're goin where them big boys play. And them boys don't play nice." He cackled and his gaze slowly moved a little lower.

"Trolls."

Catching a glance from Aiden, Selena shot a kick to the guard's groin and snatched the sobbing man as a shield from the bullets that were now raining upon them. She sprinted for the outcrop and ducked behind, still guarding herself with the body to her left. Sneaking a look at Aiden, she noticed he now had a hold of a gunman's AK47 and was dodging bullets behind his corpse; his gun was aimed at the guard previously restraining him. Selena began skimming her shield's pockets for some kind of weaponry. She found what she was looking for, the small dagger felt light in her grasp. Moving from the outcrop, she flung the knife at the last gunman, its blade piercing through his cranium. He plummeted to the ground with a thud.

"Lucky shot, Trent," she hear Aiden say. He was now positioned a few yards from the last remaining guard, probably armed with the same dagger as the yellow-toothed maggot. He didn't stand a chance- and he knew it.

"Alright, hands up in the air, bastard," Aiden sneered. "You guys are pitiful. No proper training, huh?"

After harvesting her knife from the body, Selena stepped over to the other side of the guard, holding it threateningly.

The man did as Aiden ordered. "You won. I admit. But what makes you think I'll be of any use to you?" Selena dropped her knife and strode over to him and began searching him for other weapons, finding another knife in his boot.

Throwing the weapon away and continuing to search, she rambled, "What is Tank planning to do with the Sphere? Who is he shipping it off to? What did he need us for? Who-.." She was interrupted.

"Woah! Slow down there princess! What sphere are we talking about here?"

Selena quit the weapon search and trudged back towards where her knife was lying in the sand. Picking it up, she wiped the bloody grains off on the hips of her shorts.

Aiden looked over at her. "He doesn't know anything. I have a better question." His gaze turned to the man, who raised his eyebrows. "Do you have backup coming to save your ass right now?"

The guard snickered. He stared at Selena. "This guy is good. Where'd you find him?" he said, pointing his thumb behind him. The guard continued to laugh. "Yeah. One of the guys hit the call button on the handy-dandy radio." More snorting erupted from the guard.

Still scrutinizing the maniac, Aiden said, "Selena, we need to get out of here. He doesn't know anything."

"Alright." Selena nodded. "Then shoot the hound."

The guard went silent.

"Why?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He doesn't need the time. Tank's going to kill him anyway. It'll save him the trouble. You don't know Tank like I do. And in any case, I don't need to explain myself to you. If you don't, then I will. However, I'd rather not get my hands messy." Her eyes were stone cold and her expression did not waver from its stern guise. Her ruffled, dark hair fell into her eyes when she stared at her hand, tightening around the dagger in her grasp.

"If I may intervene… I may not have a family, but I have a few buddies at the tavern in Beatty. We go there all the time to have a drink, tell some stories, and maybe make a few bad jokes about our boss. I've never really fell in love because most of the women I run into are either obese or strippers. And while I love the strippers… well…that's a different kind of love." He chuckled sadly at the thought. "So if you shoot me, I won't really be missed. My mom actually thinks I'm dead already. Hell, if Tank told _me_ I was dead, I'd buy it. And those guys at the bar…they'll just find someone else to dick around with." He looked down at his boots in the sand. "I don't wanna die…but if it means less misfortune later on," he paused, "make it quick and painless. Right through the head." He tapped a two fingers to his forehead.

Aiden cocked his head, expecting another nod from the confounded tomb raider on the other side. But instead, she slid the knife into her boot. "Where are our effects?"

Dumbfounded, the guard answered, "In the front of the truck."

She marched past them towards where the truck sat, about 200 yards away- never once looking back.

Aiden turned his head towards the guard, and then back towards Selena. "Umm…I don't think this is how it's usually handled."

The guard did not respond.

"Well, I see only one way to take care of this." Aiden aimed the gun.

The man gasped. "What? You now?"

Aiden fired.

The man was left cradling his left leg in the stained sand.

"You'll live."

He grabbed the guard's discarded knife and swung the AK47 over his shoulder. He started back towards the truck.

"I don't need a shadow."

Selena smashed her fist onto the window frame of the truck. She had a rush of feelings hit her all at once- ones that she hadn't encountered since Lady Croft's funeral. Frustration, aggravation, uncertainty, and over all madness flushed her face and tightened her clenched fists. Her stare into the mirrors soon turned into a glare as she realized what she was looking at. She not longer found Selena Trent-brown hair and blue eyes. She found a wall, a great stone wall. Selena reached to wipe a spot of blood off her cheekbone just for it to smear. Uncaring, she left it that way. It made her look tougher. Didn't it? Did the smell of sweat and taste of crimson make anyone stronger? Did it make Lady Croft stronger?

Did it make Selena Trent stronger?

Aiden soon caught up with Selena at the truck, rummaging through their effects. She was dressed in her previous camo-pants and white top ensemble and stuffing her backpack with flayers and medi-packs when he strutted up. "'Bout time you caught up. I was beginning to worry that some desert creature ate you."

"Why did you walk away?"

She stopped and looked through the passenger window on the other side, avoiding his stare. "I was tired of arguing."

"Selena. Look at me."

She turned around slowly, her face emotionless and unmoved.

"I'm not going to stand here all day waiting for an answer."

"Good!" she said enthusiastically. "Because I'm in a hurry as well. So let's just scrap the whole thing up as an unfortunate encounter, hm?" she retorted, turning to fill her pack with more supplies.

"I'm not giving up on you, Selena," he said solemnly.

She turned around to face him. "You really want to know?"

"Yes?" Aiden said puzzled.

She sighed. "He didn't deserve death. Death is a privilege in his case; an escape he was not worthy of." Selena turned back around, slipped her backpack over her shoulders, and shuffled past him.

Aiden stood pondering her words. "I highly doubt that, Miss Trent."

Suddenly, a loud rumble and sputter rang from the back of the truck. He raced over to find his new found companion revving the engine of a brand-new quad bike. She sped through the back doors and onto the sand, flinging it into the air as she drifted to a stop. She laughed heartily, and meeting Aiden's bewildered stare, laughed even harder.

"I have a few of these back home. Just haven't ridden in a while." She cracked a smile, remembering how she used to ride the track with her mentor. It was sealed behind a gate that had a special key hidden in the basement. Selena had never ventured to the basement, even since living in the mansion. The door was just too quick to close and difficult to access. Perhaps, she thought, I'll make the effort when I get back home.

Aiden frowned deep in thought. "What are you suggesting? That we just ride in there, guns ablaze, and then ask politely for the sphere?"

Selena smirked. "No, actually." She nodded to her right. "I intend to visit the tavern in Beatty and have a little chat with some of the locals."

He shrugged, running a hand through his sweaty, tousled hair. "Fair enough. I'll stay here and try to scope out the area."

"Meet me in Beatty."

"Gotcha."

Selena sped off through the sand, leaving Aiden to tangle with other matters.

Switching her communication device back on, she spoke loudly into the mouth piece. "Gauge! Are you alright?"

After some noisy shuffling and thunderous shouting, Gauge's calming voice softly asked, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I've been trying to trace your location for hours! I can't bel-…"

"Gauge. Inside voice, please." There was intense silence coming from the other end. "I'm still in Nevada. I was captured by some of Tank's-…"

"How did I guess you got yourself in a ruck?"

"Never mind that. I'm approaching Beatty. I'm going to the tavern to have a little livener."

"And I thought I knew you better."

Selena laughed to herself. "I'll be interrogating some of the locals."

"Brilliant. Gimme an update once you have more information. Don't hurt yourself."

"Yes, mum." She laughed. "Oh and Gauge?"

"Hm?"

"Run some searches for an Aiden Meyers. I have a feelings I'm going to have to work with this guy." Selena regretting spilling the last part.

"You? Work with someone? Wow...alright then. I'll run 'em. Be back with some info probably by the time you get to Beatty."

"Thank you."

Selena hung up and slowly approached the small town.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: This is my take on Aiden right now. I mean, we haven't heard much from him so I thought I'd add this bit in. Yes, I know it's short. And I know it's late and I'm truly sorry. :( I was going to upload this with Chapter 7 but it's taking to long to write. I hope this is for the best.

**Chapter 6**

Selena Trent. Something about her was wrong but intriguing. Something about that terrifying glare, something about those pain-stained eyes, something about that quirky little smirk and that casual wit made her something worth looking into. Not in the charming way so much as the useful way. She could help him. And Lady Croft; what other connections did she have to her? This was such an unusual and complicated situation. The more time he'd spend with her, the more time she'd have to investigate. He saw the ear piece she had; she had outside connections. And once she'd take advantage of those, there'd be trouble. Aiden didn't need trouble. Aiden didn't need a lot of things. But one thing Aiden did need was help.

Something about this was wrong but necessary.

Aiden slammed the back doors shut. He trudged over the driver's door and flung it open, tossing his sack of necessities into the passenger seat and lifting himself into the truck. He removed his handgun from the sack and set it on top of it in preparation for any nuisance. He opened the glove compartment, snatched the key, and awoke the growling vehicle, switched the gears and rode up to the formerly living guardsmen, with no sign of the whiny guard with the freshly wounded leg. Stepping out of the grumbling truck, he walked over to one of the corpses.

"Sorry, bud."

Aiden unbuttoned the man's uniform and situated it on himself. The blood stains were barely visible through the black cotton and the button-up top was an okay fit. He was sure that the costume wouldn't hide him for long, but it would be much more efficient than waltzing through the doors in his tattered denim and t-shirt.

He rolled the body behind a boulder and started back towards the truck, flung himself into the driver's seat and sped off. He needed some mental preparation. What exactly was he going to do? What exactly was he _trying_ to do? All of the this was most unsettling to Aiden. He was not experienced in the art of stealth; he was used to plunging into the battle, adrenaline pumping, veins pulsing - hit first, ask questions later. Now all of a sudden, he was being tugged around aimlessly by uncertainty.

Why was he doing this anyway? Couldn't he find someone just as useful and much less surly than the immovable, callous, Croft-influenced Miss Trent? Of course he could. But despite his lack of patience for the woman and her merciless personality, he did not want to.

Soon he arrived at the facility. Exiting from the vehicle, he checked his guise in the mirrors. His thick auburn hair ran straight into his eyes. If he wasn't so apathetic (not to mention broke), he would've had it cut by now. But instead it ran wild, spreading over his ears and forehead like a rampant weed. Brushing the strands out of his face, he glanced back and noticed his scratched and bruised skin, split lip, and eyes- dark brown and bloodshot with lack of sleep. Shrugging, he turned away from vanity to move along with his job. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could sleep. Aiden didn't need a lot of things. But one thing Aiden did need was sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own Lara Croft or any other characters (or trademark phrases) associated with the Tomb Raider series.

**Author Notes**: Cliffhanger! Beware! I have no idea where I'm going to take this anymore. Any ideas? Reviews are a good way to get those out! :) Sorry I've been so... slow, lately. :(

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The quad pulled to a stop in the back lot of the tavern. It was a dingy place, chipping paint on a splintery exterior and a noticeably cracked window and torn screen. The parking lot itself was in barely any shape at all with its crumbing curbs and broken blacktop. Loud music could be heard through the walls. This was close to what Selena expected, but far from where she wanted to be. Then again, when was that ever considered?

She swung the door open to reveal the typical town tavern with all of your favorite people and all your favorite beverages. It was dim, with the only light being behind the bar, above a few select booths, and at the jukebox. Old 80s rock hits blared through speakers and even louder voices came from the bar- laughing and shouting and clanking.

Selena strut up to the bar and sat on one of the ripped up swivel stools. The one next to her looked as though it had seen a few bar fights. The bartender, busy cleaning out glasses, looked over at her expectantly.

"Just a water, please."

The scraggly young man raised an eyebrow but shrugged and filled a clean glass with water from the dispenser. He slid the glass over the bar, slipping her a napkin to place it on. Selena nodded in thanks, lifting the glass for a drink; but the tender kept staring at her as she took a sip. When she set her glass back down, he spoke.

"You aren't from around here, missy. I can tell by your accent."

"Is that the only way you can tell?" Selena said smirking at the grimy man.

He took notice of the smirk and smiled in return. "Well, I mean… yer pretty- and you don't usually see pretty girls 'round here. They all ride straight to Vegas." He let out a small chuckle. The bartender continued. "So what brings you to Beatty?"

"Obligations. Unfinished business."

The bartender stared blankly at her.

"Actually," she said, moving the glass to the side, "I was hoping you could tell me about a few local activities."

The man laughed again. "There ain't nothing goin' on here, sweetcakes."

"No, you misunderstand." She moved closer to the man, grimacing at his rancid beer breath and teeth that hadn't seen a tooth brush since who knows when. "I mean…specific activities. Such as that warehouse not too far from here. That place seems to be buzzing."

He moved back from the bar. "You don't wanna be meddlin' with that stuff, lady. That's some scary business goin' on down there."

Selena's interest grew. "What kind of scary business?"

"Ah, I shouldn't say anymore!"

"Why not?"

"They…" he leaned over the bar, "They have people. They have ways of finding us. You too, if you aren't careful." The bartender back away from the bar again and grabbed a glass to begin cleaning once more. "Look, sweets, I don't know what you know already. But if you had any mind, you'd stop foolin' with them guys. It's nasty business. Jus' trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

He sighed. "Because I'm only trying to help. I've been there and it ain't pretty!" He suddenly stopped cleaning, his face dropped. "Damn! I've said too much!"

"Will nothing make you speak?"

The tender looked at her. He pondered this for a moment.

"Well, there is something…"

"What?" Selena said impatiently.

He looked around warily, "I need you to retrieve somethin' for me. It's back at the warehouse. I can give you information and a key to get in if you can find it and bring it back to me. But if you get caught, none of this can lead back to me, ya hear?"

"What is it?"

"It's a package. It's small; small enough to fit in a crack in the ceiling on the top floor," the bartender whispered.

"I'll get it. But I'll need that key first. And the information too." Selena looked at him expectantly, holding out her hand.

The man asked her to wait a minute and then went into the back. The music suddenly seemed to be louder and the people seemed to be chattier. She had been so engrossed in the conversation that she forgot she was in a bar. She swiveled around to catch a glimpse of her surroundings. There was a dancing man, enormous belly flopping out the front of his shirt, by the jukebox, his beer in hand and all over his arm and the floor as he jiggled around like a giant blob. There was also a shabby old woman in a low cut top and tight jeans. Her cowboy boots came knee-high as she laid them across an empty chair, sprawling herself out and tipping her head down to rest.

"Here!"

Selena spun around and watched as the bartender gave her a napkin with the keys wrapped inside.

"Give me my package, and I'll give you your information."

Selena grumbled, but nodded. Turning around, she crossed the bar to the door, taking one last look at the man behind the bar. He nodded. Selena thrust the door open and stepped back out into the blazing sun.

A wisp of breeze caught a bramble bush and threw it across Selena's path, and she watched it as it tumbled away.

As she strode across the parking lot and noticed something laying on her quad. The closer she came, the more evident it became that something was not right. The object on the quad seemed to be a note, but as she stepped closer, there was a faint beeping noise ringing in her ears. The beeping quickened as she moved to read the note.

_YOU LOSE_

Selena ran back towards the bar.

The beeping stopped.


End file.
